Exercise and Fitness: Questions & Answers
Vital Health Zone is proud to announce Gina Jackson, who is our resident exercise and fitness expert and who is available to answer all your questions about exercising and fitness. Gina has a private practice and is available for consultation.
Gina answers all your exercise and fitness questions below:
Q: I'm trying to lose weight but i am confused about energy, carbohydrates and fat.
Could you tell me what a good quantity per day would be for each?
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A: Energy is the calories (or kilojoules) that is present in the foods and drinks you consume each day. Everyone needs a certain amount of energy to survive. The amount of energy you require depends on the amount of energy you exert (the physical activity you engage in).
To understand your individual calorie (the energy from the food you eat) requirements each day, use the following calculator:
The amount of the macronutrients you require each day are recommended in the following ratios (this is based on general guidelines recommended by dieticians):
- Carbohydrates - 45% of total energy intake
- Protein - 30% of total energy intake
- Fat - 25% of total energy intake
Be aware that these are guidelines only and everyone's individual circumstances are different, so you can vary this a little for you.
In addition to this, all foods generally contain some carbohydrates, protein and fat, in different ratios (there are a few exceptions to this general rule). To give you some idea about this, take a good look at the food values section of this site (it gives the nutritional content of many natural foods) and view the carbohydrates, protein and fat content of various foods to understand this better.
We will be adding a nutrient calculator shortly, which you will be able to use to calculate your carbohydrate, protein and fat intake depending on your calorie intake, so stayed tuned for this.
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